


Libraries

by sartiebodyshots



Category: Falling Skies
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Gen, M/M, Pre-Series, Season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 20:03:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3501131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sartiebodyshots/pseuds/sartiebodyshots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben likes to reorganize Tom's bookshelves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Professor's Library

            Ben carefully pulls all of the books of Dad’s shelves.  The stacks grow and grow taller around him until, finally, the shelves are completely bare except for a few knickknacks.  He’s staring at the books, trying to decide exactly where to start.

            “Did you at least ask your dad before tearing his study apart this time?” Mom’s voice comes from behind him.

            Ben jumps, almost bumping into her.  He had been too absorbed to hear her come in. 

            “He didn’t like the last system I set up,” Ben explains sheepishly, “so I figured he wouldn’t mind _too_ much.” 

            “ _Ben_ ,” Mom scolds.  “You know you’re not supposed to reorganize without asking.”

            “Yeah, yeah…  Sorry?”  Ben tries, looking up at him and trying to look cute and innocent.

            “No, you’re not,” Mom says. 

            “You’re right,” Ben says, shrugging.

            Mom pulls a plate from behind her back with a couple brownies on it.  “I also brought you a snack.”

            Ben squints suspiciously.  “You’re bringing me some of your delicious brownies as punishment?”  Maybe they’re nut brownies.  The inferior kind of brownie. 

            Mom winks at him as he takes the plate.  “It’s fun watching your dad freak out every time you reorganize his bookshelves.”

            Ben snorts as he takes a bite from the brownie.  Definitely not nut brownies.  “If he’d just pay attention to the systems, he wouldn’t have these problems.”

            Mom laughs and ruffles his hair. 

* * *

 

            Ben has just put the last book in its new place when Dad walks in.  

            “Mom said that you had a surprise for me,” Dad says.

            Ben gestures at the bookshelves surrounding them. “Ta-da!”

            Dad walks over to his bookshelves and then narrows his eyes.  “Did you use Library of Congress, Dewey Decimal, or some other one?”

            “Another Ben Mason special,” Ben says cheerily. 

            Dad snorts and rubs his temples.  “I’m working on the first draft of the book, you know.  I have a deadline.”

            “I know!  You told me all about it, remember?” Ben says, grabbing his sleeve and tugging him over.  “It’s why I reoriented the whole system so that books on the Revolutionary War are right here by your desk.” 

            Dad kneels down and examines the book selection.  As he’s examining, Ben rocks back and forth on his heels nervously. 

He catches sight of Mom out of the corner of his eye, smiling in the doorway.  Ben looks over properly and tries not to laugh as she gives him a thumbs up.  She ducks away when Dad looks back up at him. 

“These _are_ the books I need,” Dad says and he’s smiling.

“And then your books on more modern times are at the far side,” Ben says.  “It’s a really good system.”

Dad sits down in his chair, already pulling out papers to grade.  “Sometimes I think you rearrange my library just so that I keep calling you in here for help.”

            Ben shrugs.  “It’s a plus.”  He plucks a book off the shelf and sits down, leaning against Dad’s desk. 

            “Hey, Ben,” Dad’s voice drifts from above.

            “Yeah, Dad?” He doesn’t look up from his book.

            “Thanks.”

            Ben grins to himself as he keeps reading.


	2. The President's Library

            “What are you doing?” Cochise’s voice comes from behind him.

            Ben jumps up, startled.  He likes Cochise, but he still makes his spikes kind of uneasy, which means he makes Ben feel uneasy.  Keeping his distance from his dad’s new boyfriend makes him feel bad; he knows Cochise is a good person.  It’s just… weird sometimes.

            “I found a bookshelf- a couple actually,” Ben points at them, waving vaguely.  “I’m organizing Dad’s books.” 

            “I have never seen so many physical books in one place,” Cochise says, picking up a book.  “We stopped using physical books even before the Espheni came to our world.”

            “Dad used to have a lot more books back before.  In his study at home, and then in his office at the university,” Ben says. 

            “It is a most inefficient means of storing data,” Cochise remarks. 

            “It is,” Ben agrees, putting books on the shelves in a brand new configuration.  “But it’s nice, too.”

            “Nice how?” Cochise asks. 

            “Can I have that one?  Please?” Ben asks, holding the book out.  When Cochise hands it to him, he continues.  “Thanks.  Uh, they’re nice to look at.  And they feel really good to hold in your hands.  Listening to the pages turn.”  He drifts off, reminiscing silently.

            Cochise picks up another book and flips the pages.  “You have many good memories with books.”

            “Yeah,” Ben says.  “Dad would read them to me, or I would sit against his desk and read when he worked.  I reorganized his bookshelves in his study at home, like, all the time.” 

            “Were you training to be a-“ Cochise seems to stumble over his words.  “A librarian?”

            “I wasn’t,” Ben says, shaking his head.  “I didn’t know what I wanted to do.  I liked organizing and I liked spending the time with Dad.  It used to annoy him.”

            “Annoy him?  He seems very fond of all of his children.”

            “Oh, yeah, he loves us all.  That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t get annoyed with us some times,” Ben says.  “He got annoyed because he couldn’t find his books because I didn’t use any of the standard organization systems.  He’d be working on a paper or his book and he’d have to call me to find the book he needed.”

            “Will he be annoyed this time?  Perhaps you should cease,” Cochise says.

            “Probably.  This organizational system is a doozy,” Ben says, grinning up at Cochise.  “He’ll never figure it out.” 

            “And you believe this is still a wise course of action?”

            “Yeah,” Ben says.  “Trust me.” 

            “You have known your father for a much longer time than I have,” Cochise says.  “Do you mind if I stay and watch you?”

            “It’ll probably be pretty boring, but okay,” Ben says with a shrug. 

            Cochise settles in one of the seats behind him and Ben continues on with his work.  Dad’s new collection of books is smaller than his old one, but it also includes things other than history books, which throws off his original plans.  He can adapt though. 

            Ben is so enthralled in his work that he doesn’t notice when Dad walks in.  There’s just a coughing noise behind him and Ben looks up into his dad’s exasperated face.

            “What are you doing?” Tom asks.

            “He is attempting to annoy you,” Cochise says.

            “Hey!” Ben says, shooting a glare at Cochise around Dad’s legs.  “You’re not supposed to tell him that.”

            “I apologize,” Cochise says.

            “You aren’t sorry,” Ben retorts. 

            “Ben,” Dad says firmly. 

            “Your bookshelves were totally out of order!” Ben says.  “So I thought I’d fix it up for you.”

            Dad looks down at him with a raised, skeptical eyebrow.  “Uh huh.”

            “Your shelves look so much better now!” Ben says.  “It’s almost done, just wait.”

            “Okay, okay.” Dad holds up his hands in surrender.  “I never could win this argument anyway.”

            “Nope!” Ben says cheerily.  “Your bookshelves are mine.”

            Tom leans down to kiss the top of his head before going to his desk. 

            “Your offspring is a most diligent worker,” Cochise chimes in.  “While I do not understand his organizing principle, he is very committed to it.”

            “Then he can come organize your bookshelves,” Tom says.

            “The Volm don’t have bookshelves, Dad,” Ben says.  For some reason that makes Dad smile.

            “If we did, I would allow him to organize my bookshelves.”

            “Thanks!”

And for some reason, Dad is the one smiling widest after that. 

* * *

 

“Ben?” Dad’s voice interrupts his reading.  It’s hours later and Cochise has gone back to his ship, leaving Ben reading a book while leaning against his dad’s desk.  A couple people have walked in and out during that time, but Ben just ignored them.

“Yeah, Dad?” Ben doesn’t bother looking up from his book.

“Were you alright, hanging out with Cochise today?  I know you don’t always like being around him.”

Ben scoots around so he can see Dad.  “You know it’s not him.  The spikes don’t like him.  Espheni and Volm don’t mix.”

            “I just want to make sure you guys get along, or at least that he wasn’t making you- or them- or whatever- uncomfortable,” Dad says.

            “Nah, Dad.  I can ignore them,” Ben says, looking up at him.  “He’s a pretty cool dude.  And he appreciates my organization skills.”

            Dad grins again.  “That’s only because he doesn’t have to live with your organization.” 

            Ben shrugs.  “Not yet.  But he seems kind of keen on books, so he’s gonna run into it eventually.”

            Dad snorts and shakes his head.  “You’re going to turn him right off books.”

            Sometimes, Ben had wondered if things would ever feel like any kind of normal again.  And yeah, things will never be like they used to be again, but there can be all kinds of normal.  Different kinds of normal can be good too.


End file.
